Global census of spoonbills on the way

CNA , TAINAN

The two-day annual global census of black-faced spoonbills started off yesterday across Asia, with preliminary counts showing 580 of the endangered birds in Tainan County, according to members of the Taiwan-based Wild Bird Society.

The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, organizer of the annual event, will collect the survey data on the rare migratory birds from around Asia, including South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Macau, they said.

In Taiwan, the census is being conducted by the Wild Bird Society, the Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Society and the Happy Wild Bird Association, the officials said.

In last year's census, a total of 1,206 black-faced spoonbills were counted worldwide, with about half of these wintering in Taiwan.

This year, the number of the rare birds wintering in Taiwan surpassed 780 as of Jan. 9.